Best Of
Re: Can the mind be conditioned into enlightenment?
For me right now I think is it "THE enlightenment and then it's ongoing enlightened activity"? I think without conditions there would be no realizations... and that without realizations there wouldn't be further realizations. Are realizations conditioned? If so then how could a string of conditioned realizations result in something that is non conditioned? If no then if all of the realizations are unconditional then why is there a big enlightenment at the end that is different from the earlier "waking up"?
And then what of morality and waking up? We've all had some glimpses and we all do immoral things. But what if someone is very awake but is doing terrible, stuff that most anyone would agree is terrible
Jeffrey
Re: What documentary are you watching?
This is an interview with Clara Mattei about the book on UK’s Channel 4. The interviewer is a bit of a straight up establishment guy, but it’s very interesting to see how she talks to his points.
Jeroen
Re: The AI tsunami
I think the leap from “pattern matching machine trained on the internet” to “generally intelligent software entity” is going to be a lot harder than commenters are assuming. I largely agree with Michael Pollan’s take, that AI merely mimics a human mind. After all it runs on deterministic computer systems, without the random elements that human beings have.
Recent stock market performance is another thing that shows that the cleverest people out there are pricing in a much longer trajectory to really competent AI. Microsoft shares fell nearly 20% in recent days, which reflects what the market expects from OpenAI and from AI PCs generally. It seems like the AI bubble is bursting…
Jeroen
Re: "Walk For Peace" monks in the US from Texas to Washing D.C.
These Monks, in their walk have faced both hardship and praise. They have been welcomed and demonized. They have crossed many hundreds of miles.
Still, their message of hope and peace endures.
Lionduck
Re: Can the mind be conditioned into enlightenment?
Yes and no. One can certainly plant the seeds for the blossoming of awakening. Every action, arising out of our intentions, helps to condition future habits, experiences, and insights. So while one can’t condition what’s unconditioned, one can condition their approach to it and the possibility of or openness to its realization. Basically, per the simile of the raft, our intentions and actions are the raft which lead us to the island of the unconditioned—our actions don’t condition or create the island, but they can help lead us there.
Jason
Re: On the topic of becoming more conscious
While there are different methods of meditation, the term "Monkey Mind" arises.
That is the random thoughts that seem to be constantly flitting through our consciousness. Regardless of type or method, for some, slipping into the meditative state seems like stepping into another room or sliding into a pool - effortless.
For others, that pesky monkey "Just won't stop jumping andchattering away". Clearing one's mind does not necessarily shutting up the monkey. The more we try, the more the active monkey. Instead, we simply allow the monkey to be a monkey. But, we remove the focus on the monkey. Of course, methods vary. Foe example, some use various mudras (movements) in preperation, other sit and mentally brush away the mental cobwebs. The point is to change the focus from the monkey mind (the lesser mind) to the deeper mind, the greater mind. Once the monkey ceases to have our attention, it fades into the background. As this happens, we find, we have slipped into the pool, we have walked through the doorway into the next room.
I personally have my Mandala which acts as my "Object of veneration for the contemplation of the Mind" or, more simply, the mirror allowing me to focus my mind, enter, and deepen my meditative state. I use a mantra, which enables the purpose of my meditation. The monkey mind, though still frenetically jumping and chattering, fades into the background and ceases to affect my meditation.Thus I am able to draw out the Buddha Nature draw from the Ninth Consciousness, awaken the the Buddha, the Bodhisattva that is within myself.
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: Can the mind be conditioned into enlightenment?
@David said:
So I think it takes conditioning to wake up but it has to be conditioning conducive to waking up. Often times, that means first of all to take our conditioning in our own hands which is mindfulness and the art of skillful means.
As we listen to our clarity, others comprehension, wisdom sauces and sources so we start to taste the flavour of The Middle Way to have a banana unpeeling the Nibbana experience. So in a sense we are removing the conditioning.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nibbana.html
lobster
Re: On the topic of becoming more conscious
My view is that they are like tools. They have different purposes and uses. Also, having difficulty or lack of a good experience the first time trying it out isn't a very good metric of somethings validity, perhaps you weren't really doing it properly. Nearly all of these techniques take practice and familiarity.
I think its fair to take the testimony of generations of life long practitioners of these techniques as being useful as a good metric.
To the point about comparing meditation, or certain aspects of meditation, to life events. I think that makes sense and have heard similar things said, like with the concept of flow. But a meditation practice has the intention of taking these things and familiarizing our minds with them so they become more naturally occurring.
person